Category: Football
Euro 2008: Discord In The Austrian Ranks
I saw this morning that there is discord in the Austrian ranks in the run-up to Euro 2008, with a new petition started by an Austrian man calling for Austria to pull out of playing in Euro 2008.
Austria get automatic entry into Euro 2008 as one of the hosts, but are only ranked 102nd in the world, makin some people worried that they will end up humiliated by the experience. Still, it can't be any more humiliating than for the England team, who didn't even qualify. What a shame.
Rangers vs. Motherwell
Today was the most relaxing day I've had in months. I had only one thing to get up for - the football at Ibrox. I went to see Rangers beat Motherwell 3-1 at home. It wasn't a fantastic game and Rangers didn't play particularly well, but a win is good enough. Anyhow, it beats last year's Boxing Day match quite easily: watching Manchester City beat Sheffield United 1-0 at Bramall Lane wasn't exactly exhilarating - and far more expensive.
I should point out that this post is given to you courtesy of Windows Vista. Hopefully it will be the only one for quite some time! I have also been working on a broken wireless Internet network today, with a strange result: everything can now connect to the Internet, but some of the appliances are adamant they can't connect. Is that Google I see? No, it must be an illusion! So long as it's the illusion everyone else sees, I care not, for I am going to my bed...
Bye Bye Blades
This afternoon, Sheffield United lost their last home game of the season to Wigan Athletic which, put together with West Ham's win at Old Trafford, means the Blades are relegated to the Championship.
Sheffield United were, at one point, ten points clear of the relegation zone, but bad form at the tail-end of the season has confined them to second-teir football. To be honest, given their last four home games - Newcastle, Watford, West Ham and Wigan Athletic - they cannot blame anyone but themselves for their downfall. On the last day, they only needed to avoid defeat to stay up, but couldn't do it.
Still, the fans should look on the bright side of relegation: cheaper ticket prices next year, and two losses to Watford in the Championship!
Sheffield United 1 Watford 0
Today, I took an afternoon off from my relentless University work to go and watch my favourite football team, Watford, play Sheffield United at Bramall Lane, just 5 minutes' walk down the road from my house. Having been relegated last weekend, there was nothing for Watford to gain or lose from this match, but Sheffield United, though in all likelihood safe from the drop, started today only one place above the relegation zone and so did need to win this game, as they were expected to do so.
It should be said: this wasn't the most exciting game I've ever seen. In fact, the first half was positively a midfield slog, with very little in the way of chances at either end. Unfortunately for Watford, defender Chris Powell put the ball past Ben Foster at the end of the first half, gifting Sheffield Untied a 1-0 half-time lead. That is how it stayed until the end of the game, although Watford's Marlon King struck the bar at the Bramall Lane end midway through the second half. Watford should have had a penalty in stoppage time at the end of the game after a Blades player dived blatantly to palm the ball away from the Watford attack. In defence of the referee, there were players in the way, but the Assistant Referee should have seen.
Still, I care not - although Watford did deserve a point from the game, I'm not particularly bothered about the penalty. I quite like Sheffield United, especially living 5 minutes from the ground, and I'd quite like them to stay up. The result matters little to Watford and a penalty could have cost the Blades 2 points. I'd rather they have the points as it eases the pressure from them going into the last 2 games of the season. If it had happened in another game, I might have complained, but quite frankly, I know I'd have done the same if I were that defender...
Watford 0 - 1 Sheffield United
Watford really should have won tonight. Comfortably. However, they didn't play well, Sheffield United struck the right-hand post twice and, quite frankly, should have won. However, they couldn't find the back of the net. Until, that is, Danny Webber (an ex-Watford player, who I picked to score tonight) headed the ball into the back of the net in the 87th minute - from an offside position.
After this, Watford had (yet another) appeal for a penalty turned down in injury time. I am now convinced that Watford will go down - discarding the football, they just can't get a decision to go their way. It's cost them quite a few points this season so far, and it will prove to be too much to overcome at the end of the season.
Yes! We Did It! Onwards And Upwards!
Yesterday, the mighty Watford played Leeds United. For the winner, £30million and th Premiership. For the loser, the paltry sum of the gate receipts. For those of you with a short memory, or the plain ignorant, here's a brief summary:
Jay Demerit gives Watford the lead after 25 minutes. Watofrd started brightly, creating chances, including chance after 1 minute. Leeds didn't threaten too much, although a mistake by the Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster could have ended in a calamatous goal after 16 minutes. It didn't, and Watford went 1-0 up, deservedly. A great header.
One of the Leeds players fouled goalkeeper Ben Foster in the box. What did Ben Foster do? As the referee blew his whistle, he grappled another Leeds player to the ground. Nice one :)
Watford started better in the second half too. Playing well, Marlon King struck a ball in to the ground. It shouldn't have threatened, but a defender got his leg in the way. The goalkeeper panicked, the ball hit the post, the goalkeeper fumbled the ball, it span on the line for a second, and then just crossed in to the goal. Wonderful :) Marlon King was then brought down in the area on 84 minutes. Darius Henderson put the penalty away, and it was 3-0 to Watford.
Watford - play-off winners, 2006. Up to the Premier League we go. What happened last time we were there? Arsenal took 86 minutes to score against us at Highbury, only beating us with a wondergoal from Thierry Henry, we beat Chelsea at home, and Liverpool got beaten 1-0 at Anfield. Did you hear that mrBen? ;)
Sheffield United 1 - 4 Watford
Noelinho has not long returned from watching the mighty Hornets stuff the Blades at Bramall Lane, Sheffield United's home ground, in a match shown of Sky Sports tonight. Watford controlled most of the match, opening the scoring after 6 minutes. United's David Unsworth was sent off on 25 minutes for an elbow, and for a while tempers frayed.
However, Watford scored again straight after the break, on 47 minutes. United pulled one back near the hour, but two further goals gave the now 3rd placed Watford victory over the team 1 place above them in the table - and away from home too. This was Sheffield United's biggest loss of the season.
However, great though the result was, Noelinho has a couple of bones to pick with the way Sheffield United's staff handled the match. Firstly, the matter of digital photography.
Now, I don't know about you, but I don't think I've ever had any trouble taking digital photography at a sports venue - except if you go to a snooker match, perhaps. If I go to see Watford play at Vicarage Road, I take pictures. No-one moans. However, the Sheffield United stewards don't seem to like it. I was first told that 'flash photography is not allowed'. To save miscommunication, I repeated this back to the steward in question in a questioning tone, to which he replied:
"Flash photography is not allowed, just turn your flash off".
Fine, I thought. Fair enough, I'll turn my flash off. Not a problem - I'll simply take my pictures without flash. A fair assumption. After all, if photography generally is not allowed, the steward would phrase it like so. Well, apparently not. Five minutes later he returns.
"I told you you can't take pictures".
"No, you told me I can't use flash photography, not that I can't take pictures."
"Well, that's what I meant."
He walked off as, I pointed out in a rather abrupt manner that he should say what he means. After all, I can't read his mind. For goodness sake, it's like seeing someone driving on the left-hand side of the road, so don't drive on that side of the road, whilst actually meaning that you can't drive on the road at all. Hopefully he learnt his lesson - he certainly gave me a glare, I think I embarrassed him in front of large number of people in the stand. There is also no mention to the prohibition of such technology on the ticket at all. How am I meant to know if such things are not advertised?
Secondly, the allocation of tickets. Tonight was a "student night". Students were allocated tickets in their own section of the ground. According to the back of the ticket, these seats are in a stand for "visiting supporters only". Fairly conclusive - no home fans then, right?
Well, being a Watford fan, I wear my Watford shirt and scarf, and hand over my ticket, where I am dutifully informed that "you can't wear that". Well, why not, it's the away end, after all! Apparently, I'm sitting with Sheffield United fans. I point out the following:
- The ticket states I am in the away end;
- The ticket states that it is for students;
- The ticket does not state that students with student tickets have to support Sheffield United;
- Not every student is going to support Sheffield United just because they get given a cheap ticket;
- Some students do actually support Watford, strange though it may seem.
But no, I'm not allowed in with my scarf on as I may "get lynched". Well, perhaps I should have a security guard then, or maybe the savage home fans should be barred from the stadium? In the end, I simply took off my scarf, went through the turnstiles, and put it right back on in front of the ticket collector. If it is my safety that is in danger, rather than me posing a danger to others' safety, it's not me who should be restricted in this way.
Sheffield Wednesday vs. Watford
Earlier tonight, I went to Hillsborough to watch a midweek game between Sheffield Wednesday and Watford. Living in Sheffield, it's not that often that I'll be able to catch Watford games, so I made the most of the opportunity - even better, the ticket was only £18, whereas I would be paying £25 if I went to watch at Vicarage Road.
Anyway, went along with a couple of other Watford fans, and it was a fairly good game. Few clear-cut chances, but Watford were very much the better side. They had a goal disallowed early on, for a foul on the goalkeeper - dubious - although to be fair, there was a handball that also went unnoticed. Two minutes later, and the Watford goalkeeper gets a yellow card for a foul on a Sheffield Wednesday player - also dubious, considering he got the ball, but given he was adjudged to foul, probably lucky to stay on the pitch. There was precious little other action in the first half, except for groans from the Watford end as we all saw Luton had gone 1 - 0 up against Norwich.
As the second half started, Watford took full control of the game, dominating possession, but not managing to get a decisive chance on goal. Eventually, Sheffield Wednesday got a bit of a lucky break, with a deflected Watford clearance leading to a through ball, the striker beating the keeper, though with a hint of offside.
Watford then came to life even more, with 25 minutes left, and with 5 minutes left in normal time, managed to conjure an equaliser, thoroughly deserved. They nearly found a winner, which was cleared off the line in stoppage time - of which there were 7 minutes - but it wasn't to be, and they left back for Hertfordshire with a solitary point.
The football was good, the result slightly unjust. However, the crime of the evening was the officiating. The referee was abysmal - but this was beaten by an assistant referee who seemed to be on a parallel universe.
Next week, Watford visit Wigan in the Carling Cup (of whatever the Worthless Cup is called now), but in two weeks, Luton visit Sheffield United - there's a strong Watford contingent supporting Sheffield United at Bramall Lane for that. At £5 , I'm booking my tickets early tomorrow.
Absolute Rubbish
So, last night the English football team suffered another embarrassing defeat, this time to the hands of Denmark. Admittedly, Denmark are under-rated, and far better than they are given credit for, but embarrassing for the English FA all the same.
You know what? I couldn't care less, to be honest. I have never hidden my lack of enthusiasm for the English football team. I'll gladly stand up and salute the British National Anthem, but after that, when the whistle goes, I usually switch off. Why? Because I have better things to do than watch one of the most boring teams in world football. The English team are more uninspiring than Peterborough United under Barry Fry - and I had the misfortune to see them play Watford in the worst nil-nil draw I've ever seen in my life.
Of course, the one thing that does bring 'excitement' in an English international is David James, and the almost miraculous way that he manages to stuff up, every single time. Why he is still playing for England, I have no idea. But, I now have found adequate usage for an air gun to keep them legal (a reference to one of mrBen's posts on the main JediMoose site.
Quite frankly, I'd be glad if England failed to qualify for the world cup. Firstly, it means that English hooligans will have no good reason to turn up and ruin the world cup in Germany, and secondly, I won't have to suffer weeks of watching boring English football games only for England to get knocked out by a stupid goalkeeper, or a lucky cross.
Let's get behind something decent, respectable, exciting. Let's get behind the English cricket team, for they can provide us with 60 hours of entertainment in trouncing the Aussies in the next few weeks.